“Migrants pay on average 60% more in surcharge each year than they use in healthcare”
The Guardian · 23 October 2026 · Opinion, paraphrased
Differs from the source
They said
60% more
The Guardian
does not match
Source says
About the same
Nuffield Trust: £1,035 paid, £1,036 used
Nuffield’s 60% adds an assumed NHS share of income tax and National Insurance to the surcharge. The £1,035 surcharge alone is close to the government’s £1,036 estimate of care costs.
Checked 30 Oct 2026 · How we check
What’s behind the NHS ‘60%’ figure?
Nuffield compares the combined contribution with the government’s estimate of care costs. It assumes 27% of income tax and National Insurance is spent on the NHS.
Nuffield Trust · Financial year 2023/24
The surcharge
£1,035
Government estimate of care costs
£1,036
- Who
- Immigration health surcharge cohort
- Where
- UK surcharge payers; healthcare-use estimate based on England
- When
- Financial year 2023/24
Sources and figures
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Modelled contribution above estimated care costs | At least 60% | Nuffield Trust |
- The immigration health surcharge: an unstable funding stream?
Nuffield Trust · Published 20 October 2026